Early mormon settlers made tea out of this toxic plant, reportedly, so hence the name. Common high desert plant in southwest (particular...Read Morely southern California, Nevada and Arizona). This is a gymnosperm, so no flowers... separate male and female plants, which look pretty darn similar all year long until late winter/early spring when the boys make the pollen (hence have a lot of yellow in them) and the girls make the cones (stay sort of a grey green but with dinky nodules). Interesting to me is how male plants tend to grow in large groups and females in separate groups (much smaller). Rarely see two plants of opposite sexes right near each other.
Quite invasive, and can dominate the foliage in cleared areas, until something else more invasive takes over. Not exactly what I would call an ornamental plant, so not sure how this creates 'winter interest'. But to each his own.
Early mormon settlers made tea out of this toxic plant, reportedly, so hence the name. Common high desert plant in southwest (particular...Read More